"...I was participating in a truly significant historic event...a consensus had been reached as to the supreme value of the human person, a value that did not originate in the decision of a worldly power, but rather in the fact of existing -- which gave rise to the inalienable right to live free from want and oppression and to fully develop one's personality. There was an atmosphere of genuine solidarity and brotherhood among men and women from all latitudes, the like of which I have not seen again in any international setting...."Hernan Santa Cruz, Chilean member of the drafting committee, 1948

There was real hope after the second world war that the human atrocities perpetuated during the second world war (1940-1945) would never occur again...by law. The unanimous adoption (with some abstentions) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights also heralded a new era of optimism and a kind of enlightened attitude (inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt), in which the United Nations would settle disputes and the USA was the new world leader, liberal, freedom loving and different from any empire that bit the dust before a wave of optimism.

Today the actual force of the content of this declaration has been falling by the wayside. Although the words "human rights" are frequently used in newspapers of stature, thanks to Bush and his cronies Cheney and Rumsfeld, torture -- perhaps the most comprehensive transgression of human rights -- has become a way of war and a career for many. Extra judicial killings perpetuated by the presidency of Obama, and facilitated by drone warfare are now a commonplace, almost daily occurrence. Hardly anyone raises an eyebrow that once more we are ruled by bloodthirsty murderers parading in civilian clothes, who know most certainly that the attorney general of the USA will not prosecute.

However, let there be no doubt: crimes against humanity do exist and violations of human rights are crimes. One day, heinous acts will once more be recognized as heinous crimes. With 7 billion of us, justice can no longer just be a matter of brute power if humanity wants to have a future at all. Treaty law actually surpasses national law -- it is the supreme law of the land. It is up to us to give it teeth.

What I am suggesting here is to once more give meaning to this document: the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." Yes, this is a legal document and presumably dry. However it is not: it is amazingly accessible. One can see how much the drafters tried to make human rights easy to grasp: in 30 small paragraphs, laws that represent the highest human aspirations are laid out for the masses. But just in case these paragraphs are not simple and clear enough, the panel took the trouble to distill these principles once again. Here I will give you the whole summary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Why? Because I believe this is a profound testament to our own humanity: this is what we all agreed upon as a human family.

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Hopefully, this document will come alive for us and become a useful tool in challenging the injustices we are facing globally now, including assaults on our own liberty and the ability to express ourselves. What are our rights? Only if we know the answer to that, can we move from warfare to "lawfare." We will see this move in many areas that are increasingly intertwined with human rights such as issues of global warming, nuclear proliferation, mining, poverty, health, economic development, education, employment, inequality, etc. This new framing of the issues in the light of human rights, gives impetus also for action.

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is arguably the foundation of all other principles. To wit...

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"Article 1: All humans are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act toward one another in a spirit of brotherhood."

Below are the abbreviated versions of the 30 different articles. But if you 'd like to see the whole version, click here.

Right to Equality

Freedom from discrimination

Right to life, liberty and personal security

Freedom from slavery

Freedom from torture and degrading treatment

Right to recognition as a person before the law

Right to equality before the law

Right to remedy by competent tribunal

Freedom from arbitrary arrest and exile

Right to fair public hearing

Right to be considered innocent until proven guilty

Freedom from interference with privacy, family, home and correspondence

Right to free movement in and out of the country

Right to asylum in other countries from persecution

Right to a nationality and freedom to change nationality

Right to marriage and family

Right to own property

Freedom of belief and religion

Freedom of opinion and information

Right to peaceful assembly and association

Right to participate in government and in free elections

Right to social security

Right to desirable work and to join trade unions

Right to rest and leisure

Right to adequate living standard

Right to education

Right to participate in the cultural life of community

Right to a social order that articulates this document

Community duties essential to free and full development

Freedom from state or personal interference in the above rights

Well...here they are. When people talk about human rights, this is what they are really talking about. Obviously this is not the world we live in... but it should be, since these are the basic principles we agreed upon with all nations. Laws that insure our ability to flourish fully as human beings. These laws will only gain force in the shifting narrative of history, if we, the 99%, become more acutely aware of their content and insist that these laws have meaning in our daily lives. They are the Law.

Willem Malten studied sociology and anthropology in Amsterdam. Afterwards Willem participated in the Tassajara Zen Monastery. In the last 25 years Since 1984 Willem has run the Cloud Cliff, a medium size bakery and restaurant in Santa Fe, and (more...)